DUBLIN 1-11 KERRY 0-4
Dublin made it two wins from two starts with this 11-point victory over the Kingdom in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Sunday afternoon.
The Dubs started and finished the came very well against a Kerry side who failed to really put their visitors under any real sustained pressure throughout the game.
However, it was a win that came at a price with Michael Darragh Macauley straight red-carded in the 57th minute and Diarmuid Connolly being forced off with a bad looking ankle injury in the first half.
Until that point Connolly had played an influential part as Jim Gavin’s men led 0-8 to 0-1 by the 27th minute with Bernard Brogan and Paddy Andrews doing all the scoring.
Also upfront Paul Flynn’s work-rate kept Kerry on the back foot for Dublin to lead by six points, 0-8 to 0-2, at the break.
In defence Dublin looked solid and composed against a Kerry attack that lacked penetration and direction.
A fine Andrews point in the 43rd minute stretched Dublin’s advantage and despite the sending off of Macauley the Dubs continued to set the tempo and control the game.
Kerry managed just two points in the second half – both frees – while Dublin finished the game off in style with a great finish for goal by Craig Dias in the 62nd minute to make it 1-10 to 0-4.
And in the final minute Brogan concluded a fine individual display with his seventh point of the afternoon.
Dublin face Mayo in Croke Park on March 2 in their next league encounter.
SCORERS – Dublin: B Brogan 0-7 (0-3f), P Andrews 0-3, C Dias 1-0, P Ryan 0-1 (0-1f). Kerry: T Ó Sé, M O’Donoghue (0-1f), J O’Donoghue (0-1f), P Curtin 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; J Cooper, R O’Carroll, K O’Brien; J McCaffrey, G Brennan, D Daly; MD Macauley, C O’Sullivan; P Flynn, T Brady, C Reddin; P Andrews, D Connolly, B Brogan. Subs: P Ryan for Connolly (28, inj), C Dias for Reddin (ht), D Nelson for Daly (47), D O’Mahony for Ryan (63), P Quinn for Flynn (69).
KERRY: B Kealy; M Ó Sé, A O’Mahony, K Young; T Ó Sé, P Crowley, J Lyne; A Maher, J Walsh; M Geaney, Darran O’Sullivan, M O’Donoghue; BJ Keane, P Curtin, J O’Donoghue. Subs: K Donaghy for J Walsh (43), Declan O’Sullivan for Keane (43), B Sheehan for Geaney (55), BJ Walsh for M O’Donoghue (55), C Cox for Curtin (68).
REF: D Coldrick (Meath).
ATTENDANCE: 5,400.
